Underground electric railway



{No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. E. E. MOORE. UNDERGROUND ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

Patented Aug. 27,1895.

w fi m 7 8 7 0 fil 2 m D a a? i m 7 7 v mm (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.E. E. MOORE.

UNDERGROUND ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

Patented Aug. 2

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EMMA E. MOORE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

UNDERGROU N D ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 545,208, dated August27, 1895. Application filed November 16, 1394.- Serial No. 529.05% (Nomodel.)

To (@ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, EMMA E. MOORE, a citizen of the United States,residing in Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Underground Electric Railways, of which thefollowing is a specification, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical cross-section showing thearrangement of the conduits. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectionon line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of theconduit-sections. Fig. 4 is a central longitudinal vertical section.

My invention relates to underground electrio-railway systems, andparticularly to such systems in which the current is derived from aconductor by means of a trolley-wheel carried by a trolley-poleconnected to the car, in substantially the same way as is common inoverhead systems. Heretofore it has been customary in undergroundelectric-railway systems to arrange the conductor in a conduit locatedbetween the rails of a track, the contact being made by a suitabledevice carried by the car. This form of construction has beenobjectionable for many reasons, among which may be mentioned the loss ofelectricity and the expense of installing such systems.

My invention has for its object to provide certain improvements inunderground electric-railway systems in which the expense ofinstallation will be greatly reduced, which will be so arranged as toprevent material loss of the current, and which will embody certainother improvements, which will be hereinafter more particularly pointedout.

I accomplish the objects of my invention as hereinafter specified and asillustrated in the drawings.

That which I regard as new will be set forth in the claims.

In the drawings, 5 6 indicate the inner rails of a double-trackstreet-railway.-

7 indicates a portion of a car running upon one of said tracks.

8 indicates a conduit-section, which is made of vitrified pipe and whichis substantially U shaped in cross-section, having at each side conduits9 10, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Each of the conduits 9 10 issubstantially pearshaped in cross-section, the sides approaching eachother near the top, forming slots 11. The slot 11 of each conduit is ofsufiicient width to permit of the passage of a trolley-pole 12, which iscarried at one side of the car and carries on its lower end atrolley-wheel l3,as shown in Fig. 2. The trolley-pole 12 may be of anyapproved construction and is provided with suitable means for holdingthe trolley- Wheel in contact with the conductor. In the drawings I haveshown a spring let for such purpose; but I do not wish to be limited tothe construction shown. At each side of the slots 11 are angle-irons 15,which are fixedly secured in place and serve to protect the edges of thepipe from wear. As shown in Fig. 1, the conduit-sections 8 are embeddedin the ground in the space between the tracks, the space between theconduits 9 10 being filled in with suitable material, so that thesections are firmly set in place. This arrangement is particularlyadvantageous for the reason that the conduit-sections may be placed inposition Without materially interfering with the traffic on the street,as it is well known that the space between street-railway tracks is veryseldom used by teams. Furthermore, the conduits for a double-trackrailway may be installed at the same time and with no more expense thanwould attend the installation of a conduit for a single track, shouldsuch conduit be arranged between the rails of the track, as hasheretofore been customary.

As best shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the conduitsections are each provided atone end with a flange 16, adapted to receive the end of the adjacentsection, substantially in the manner of sewer-pipe, and in installingthe sections they are fitted together and cemented, or secured in anyother suitable way, the joints being packed or closed in such manner asto prevent the admission of moisture.

17 indicates conductors, one of which is supported within each conduitby brackets 18, which are secured to the sides of the conduit atsuitable intervals. The brackets 18 project through suitable openings inthe conduits and are held in place by nuts 19, screwed upon them. Legs20 serve as additional supports for the brackets. The conductor issecured to the brackets by any suitable device. In order to preventmoisture from gaining access to the conduits around the brackets 18, asuitable washer may be placed upon the outer ends of said brackets,between the nuts 19' and the outer surface of theconduit, as indicatedin Fig. 1.

21 indicates a drain which extends longi tudinally of theconduit-sections, but on a I lowerlevel, which drain is in communicationwith the conduits 9 10 by drain-pipes 22 22, such drain-pipescommunicating with passages'23 in the conduits, asshown in Figs. 1

. and 3.

In order to collect thedust and dirt which 7 may accumulate in theconduits, each trolleypole is provided with an arm 24, which carries abroom 25, adapted to sweep the lower part of the conduit. In this wayall dirt and other refuse is carried along in the conduits until one ofthe passages 23 is reached, when it falls into the drain 21 and isthence carried to thesewer.

Toperlnitof access to the conduits manholes 26 are provided at suitableintervals,

2 preferably opposite the brackets 18, such manholes being arrangedopposite similar manholes in the street between the tracks.

In double-tracked roads having loops at the terminals the conduits willalso be looped,

and in roads having switches at the terminals or elsewhere suitableswitch connections of the conduits should be provided.

That which Iclaim as my invention, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is-

1. An underground electric railway'con- I I stantially as described.

duit-section that is U-shaped in cross-section and provided withseparate conduits located duit section, consisting of vitrified pipingsubstantially lJ-shaped in cross-section'and provided with passages inthe vertical portions thereof, forming, two separate inclosed conduitshaving slots at the top for passage of a trolley-pole, substantially asdescribed.

4. Au underground electric railway conduit-section substantiallyU-shaped in crosssection, comprising two separate conduits 9 and 10,located in the vertical side walls of the section and each provided withwaste passages 23, in combination with a drain21 in communication withsaid passages, sub

EMMA E. MOORE. Witnesses:

STEWART H. Moons,

JOHN L. J A'OKSON.

